I’ve been doing a lot of interviews lately for various newspapers around town about my new book Sports Traveler Chicago. A common question that I keep getting asked is why I became a sports fan… It really got me thinking. Why am I a Chicago sports fan? It’s such a natural thing for me to watch sports, read about sports, and go to games. How and why did all this get started with me? But then I realized, growing up here in this city, how could I not be a sports fan? Especially growing up when I did.
The Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl in 1985. I was 9. Talk about a great team to start out being a fan of. I remember all the 4th graders in my class had Jim McMahon head bands. I remember dancing to the Super Bowl Shuffle cassette tape on my boom box in my living room after the game. My mom bought me my first Chicago Bears sweatshirt. I was cool.
The Bears never won the Super Bowl again but a certain basketball player named Michael Jordan was here to keep my attention. My entire grade school class had show-and-tell with someones Air Jordan’s. My family never missed a game on WGN. It was the reason my grandma got cable.
After the first 3-peat, the Bulls still made it all the way to the Eastern Conference finals and then it was “I’m Back!” for Jordan and another fantastic three Championships. I still have the Chicago Sun Times and Tribune Commemorative Issues for all 6 titles. What an awesome time to live here!
There was a slight lull in the Championship action for all of us to regroup and then bam.. The Chicago White Sox win the World Series in 2005!
From being that kid in the Bears sweatshirt to today watching my team beat the Steelers, one thing is for certain… growing in the greatest sports town in the U.S.A. has molded me into becoming the sports fan I am today. Thanks Chicago. You’re the best…
Tags: chicago 2016, chicago bears, chicago blackhawks, chicago bulls, chicago cubs, sports, sports traveler, sports traveler chicago
